Mal knew.. right?

oh you can always excuse all Mal's mistakes as being human,
but he does frequently make mistakes and jumps to the wrong conclusion.


He should never have taken a job w/Niska (which ended badly)
He should have known better than to punch out Atherton Wing at the party (although that ended fine! LOL)
He should listen to Zoe, and others more rather than fly off the handle so quickly....
He comes up with crazy plans (as Zoe told Kaylee "you may not be recalling his other plans", in other words: they usually go wrong)

I'm not saying he is stupid, not by any means, but he is impulsive which often leads him wrong.

Of course this question is different, it isn't that kind of mistake. This is the kind of mistake where it is easy for Mal to believe that Inara ALSO fell for Saffron's wiles, than that Inara was upset about him and kissed him (I don't believe for a second that that possibility ever crossed his mind).
I don't think it seriously occured to him that Inara was attracted to him until 'Heart of Gold'

JMPO of course


visit: http://weekinwhedon.org/wiw/

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He's a MAN.

No red-blooded man will EVER discount the possibility of a woman that hot engaging in lesbian activities......

Seriously, he wasn't thinking on that level. He just thought he'd caught her in a lie, happy to see the sanctimous Companion brought low.

Remember, both are moronically oblivious to each other's feelings at this point.

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Mal is not dense. He's in the wrong line of work to be dense. He's actually quite crafty. I believe he simply jumped to the wrong conclusion from the evidence, the conclusion he *wanted* to have happened. However Mal feel's about Inara herself, we all know he doesn't approve of her occupation, part of which involves manipulating men (using her wiles). It was much more satisfying to him to believe she fell for Saffron's little act, in other words, she got a taste of her own medicine. Mal's response was one of smugness.

I'm not sure I understand the original poster's assertion that he thought Inara kissed him instead of Saffron. He knew good and well Saffron did and knew that's what knocked him out. I think Mal knows Inara has some feelings for him and vice versa. It's just one of those deals of they're from different worlds, he's a petty thief, she's respectable, it'll never work things getting in the way. They acknowledge their feelings but don't intend to act on them. It never occurred to him she would kiss him lying unconcious on the floor. That's too overt a show of affection toward him on her part.



Well, as a rule I say girl folk ain't to be trusted.

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Don't think he knew, no.

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No way he knew! I am sure he was being dense!

I was so furious with him!

In fact Our Mrs. Reynolds was the first Firefly episode I've seen and I was *so* amazed about the chemistry between the cast! Boy, I miss the show.

(no, thats not a tear in my eye, well okay, it is, but I just don't understand how anyone could cancel this show, that's so cruel)



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I am 94% Like River Tam

The Fugitive. You are clever and dangerous, which is a nasty combination.
The fact you are crazy too just adds to your charm.
They did bad things to you, but you know their secrets.
They will regret how they made you.

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I agree with Charlene. Mal and Inara are so unlikely to get together. He's a reb and She's a yankee. His home planet shadow destroyed by the alliance [role playing book]. Fights on the Independent side. Tries to start a new life brings a companion on board for buisness. Then she is openly proalliance not good. So then Mal picks at her then on. But Inara's grace wins Mal over. He realise she ain't that bad.


"Battle of Serenity, Mal. Besides Zoe here, how many-" "I'm talkin at you! How many men in your platoon came out of their alive".

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Quote:

---

Originally posted by embers:
oh you can always excuse all Mal's mistakes as being human,
but he does frequently make mistakes and jumps to the wrong conclusion.


He should never have taken a job w/Niska (which ended badly)
He should have known better than to punch out Atherton Wing at the party (although that ended fine! LOL)
He should listen to Zoe, and others more rather than fly off the handle so quickly....
He comes up with crazy plans (as Zoe told Kaylee "you may not be recalling his other plans", in other words: they usually go wrong)

I'm not saying he is stupid, not by any means, but he is impulsive which often leads him wrong.

---

I wouldn't rightly say any of those examples prove he makes "mistakes". The job with Niska being a prime example... Mal was smart enough to know the job reeked, and smart enough to know that he didnt want to know what he was acquiring... but when that knowledge made itself known to him, he was forced to behave righteously.

Things can go wrong even though no mistake is made, and the smart man will succeed where an average man will flounder.... leaf on the wind, anyone ?

so in response to the original question...

A) Did Mal know Inara had feelings for him ?

Definately. (you can interpret scenes differently though... for my part, I'm keen to think that in Objects in Space, Inara thinking "I'm a big girl, just tell me" and "None of it means a damn thing" or whatever the quotes her... were referring to her wanting him to confess his love to her... and his fear that love dont mean squat... it certainly didnt do him or the browncoats any good during the war, now did it ?) (and in regards to the rebel vs. yankee thing... i'm not entirely sure Inara did support the alliance... I think she may have picked up on Mal's obvious browncoat leanings, and played devil's advocate just to see how he would respond... as she's said... she's drawn to his mystery, and certainly has no qualms about lying or starting a fight with him to try and get him to be straight with her).

B) Was Mal smart enough to discern that Inara kissed him and not Saffron ?

Yes. (Jayne's defection being a prime example of this)

C) Did Mal actually know Inara kissed him ?

Probably not. Mal's greatest strength is his ability to instill love and emotion in himself and those around him, but its also his failing. He showed quite blatantly how easy he can fall to a companion's guile by Saffron. (granted, Inara does say Saffron IS a talented liar and all)

Mal WAS smart enough to see that Inara's story didnt hold water (in fact, if he DIDNT see that, he'd have to be stupid, since every effort was made to show her drugged state afterward).

I'm of the mind that the image of Saffron's naked body was still fresh in his mind, and that picturing Inara's lips on her let his hormones blind him to the thought... (much as Inara was blinded to the possibility of poison in her grief for Mal).

D) the big question... Would Mal have figured out Inara kissed him later ?

Yes. Its quite likely he even figured it out before the series was cancelled as well, but he was still working through his postwar difficulties.

(cant remember the name of the tophat guy in the pilot and shindig) but he essentially says that while Mal may captain his own ship now, he still thinks he's a sergeant back in the war. (in fact there's a few references to Mal being stuck in the war mindset by other characters.

What does this mean ?

Well, i think it means that Mal prefers to lead by the general consensus of the crew and not to "command" them directly, as a captain would be able to. In fact, the few times Mal actually gives an order, is when failing to do so would bring harm to the people he cares about, or violate his own morals, etc...

As much as Mal claims the ship isnt a democracy, and noone else has a say, and he's the captain and all, I dont believe he actually got over his fear of BEING the captain until the 'big scene' in the movie.

What's this all got to do with Inara ?

well... I think

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